BRITISH /CANADIAN COLONIAL HELMETS PRE WWI.

Three beautiful condition helmets known as the foreign service helmets in two different forms, with cavalry possibly Hussar attribution. These three helmets were purchased in 2010 from the well-known cavalry collection sold by Bonhams in London.
Boer war foreign service helmet all in white with its white pagri, gilded spike and spike base, Hussar pattern chin chain, slight age foxing to the white cloth covering, and to the pagri, the interior superb condition, the all leather and red silk lining complete, with minor evidence of wear use, Hobson and Sons London gold blocked label on leather to the upper inner crown, no moth damage to the interior green cloth lining. A all white full parade Wolsey pattern helmet with six panel canvas covering, with its white pagri, gilded spike and spike base, the interior superb, with its full light tan and red silk inner lining, no maker’s marking, complete with its standard home service pattern chin chain. A khaki coloured Wolsey pattern helmet standard six panel covering with its khaki pagri with red and blue regimental colours, standard brown chinstrap, with a Montréal Canada maker stamped to the leather strap and Montréal maker gold blocked to the light tan sweatband, the faint remains of a name applied to the light tan leather sweatband which we are unable to decipher, one of the words appears to be French ( possibly French Canadian ??) all three helmets of an identical size, also applied to the khaki helmet sweatband is what appears to be museum accession numbers. The Montréal maker’s name on the strap of the khaki helmet is the only clue that gives us the possibility that this was a Canadian mounted unit and all of the helmets belonged to one wearer, also the owner of the cavalry collection sold in Bonhams in 2010 was Canadian himself, since creating this description we have been fortunate to find that we ourselves had the original sales catalogue from Bonhams in July 2010, from which these 3 helmets were offered as lot 181, unfortunately Bonhams made a mistake in the catalogue and did not photograph the group of 3 helmets, however the catalogue description states that there was a tin for a Hussar Busby helmet in the group which has since been lost and the name on the tin was Major M Lauterman V1 DC R.C Hussars ( 6 th Duke of Connaughts, Royal Canadian Hussars ) , thus definitely identifying these 3 helmets to Major Lauterman,on the Internet Archive full text of the call to arms, Montreals Roll of Honour European War 1914, it states Lauterman was a Medical officer, his unit was attached to the 4 th Mounted Brigade, 4 th Divisional area., there is very good image of the Hussars wearing the Boer War pattern helmet offered here.

Code: 93918